Its spring and with the windy, wet weather on and off with fluctuating temperature these days, I’ve been getting hayfever attacks left and right. Worse, it turned into full blown colds and cough last week. Thanks to some natural remedies, I was A-O-K in a couple of days. So here are what you can do to fight those bugs and keep them at bay.
Honey
According to the Mayo Clinic, there’s this one study wherein children 2 years and above with upper respiratory tract infections were administered up to 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) of honey just before going to bed. Their nighttime coughing was reduced and they were able to sleep better.
Coughing isn’t bad since it helps clear mucus from your airway, but incessant coughing at night can be bothersome. So I took a tablespoon of honey and drank a glass of water afterward, in the morning and in the evening before sleeping for those 2 days I wasn’t feeling well. T’was truly a natural cough suppressant.
As a child I had tonsilitis perennially and was treated this way with honey, which really helped me get better quickly.
For sore throat, a cup of warm water with lemon (Yay for the lemon tree we have at our backyard!) and a teaspoon of honey. There are herbal lemon and ginger teas out there and you can drink this, too, and just add honey.
It isn’t, however, advisable to give honey to a child below 1 year of age, due to the risk of infant botulism, which is a a rare yet severe form of food poisoning.
Chicken Soup
It ain’t just a mummy-thing. As far back as as the 12th century, Maimonides, a the Jewish physician, recommended chicken soup to patients with colds and flu. This is primarily due to the high antioxidant properties and nutrients in organic vegetables and chicken. Of course, you can also take non-organic chicken soup, which may relieve some cold symptoms. Note, though, that such might probably be ridden with pesticides, growth hormones, herbicides, and antibiotics that you’ll end p putting in your body that are obviously not good for your well-being.
Mullein Tea
I wasn’t able to get hold of this earlier, but Mullein tea apparently has heaps of compounds with curative qualities. These are saponins, iridoid glycosides, and several types of flavonoids. I found in my research that this tea is often used to treat ashtma, coughs, sore throat, chronic bronchitis, and other respiratory issues. It is said to help relax muscles in the chest, loosen mucus, and promote proper expectoration.
Garlic
It’s the ever-popular immune system strengthener. Garlic is an antibacterial and antiviral herb that’s been used since time immemorial to fight colds, coughs, and the flu. If you can’t take it raw (i.e., chopped into little pieces on a tablespoon and a glass of water to push it down like my dad always used to do), you can drink fresh garlic tea. Just peel 2 to 3 cloves of fresh garlic and lightly crush them and add to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil; lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the garlic, add raw honey, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Drink as often as you’d like. There are garlic supplements out there, but nothing beats the real deal.
Do it the natural way and bid those nasty bugs away!
Image: PostNasalDripCough.com
